Every month we look ahead to major London openings and select the must-see exhibitions. August is a notoriously quiet month for exhibitions but we've found some smaller gems to seek out.
AOI World Illustration Awards at Somerset House
Advertising, children's books and public art all feature in this exhibition of everything from stamps to GIFs. Previous years have been great showcases of illustration and this is the fifth year running that the exhibition has been held in Somerset House. 1-29 August, free.
Summer Arts Prize at Lacey Contemporary
A chance for emerging artists to enter into a prize of £1,000 brings together a diverse array of 50 finalists covering painting, photography and film. Last year's inaugural prize featured some great works and we're expecting the same this year*. 4-20 August, free.
Anthology 2016 at Charlie Smith
If one selection of emerging artists isn't enough then there's another prize, this time in east London. Ten finalists will be competing for a £2,000 prize. 5-20 August, free.
Dress For Our Time at Science Museum
Data and politics meet fashion as a decommissioned refugee tent is converted into a dress by artist and designer Helen Storey. Statistics around migration will be realised in dress form. 17 August - 4 September, free.
Jake Wood Evans at The Unit London
A fantastic young portrait painter gets a solo show in this excellent Soho gallery. Expect beautiful paintings inspired by the Old Masters. 19 August - 11 September, free.
Dinh Q. Le, The Colony at 133 Rye Lane, Peckham
Artangel don't do simple commissions, case in point being the giant latex cast on display in the Palace of Westminster right now. All we know about this exhibition is that it features a film about massive colonies of birds, but we imagine it will be more impressive than it sounds. 25 August - 9 October, free.
Culture fans should also see which exhibitions we think are worth seeing.
* While we have no part in pulling together the finalists for the Summer Arts Prize exhibition, Tabish Khan will be on the judging panel in selecting the winners.
